Extensive range of curing agents: Epotec® by Aditya Birla Chemicals

Extensive range of curing agents: Epotec® by Aditya Birla Chemicals

Thursday, 15 September, 2016

Curing agents are a vital part of the epoxy resin systems. The selection of the right curing agent is hugely important as it influences the viscosity, reactivity and working time of our system in general, and the mechanical, chemical and optical properties specifically.Aditya Birla Chemicals offers a wide range of curing agents:

Modified Aliphatic AminesThese curing agents derived from aliphatic amines react at room temperature. The basic aliphatic amines are modified to reduce their vapour pressure and thereby reduce their corrosiveness. The modification is also performed to optimise the hardness, reactivity and handling time of the system, and also to improve carbonation resistance.

Modified Cycloaliphatic AminesThese are curing agents that work at room temperature. Excellent yellowing resistance and low corrosiveness makes them the preferred choice for self-levelling floorings, primers, top coats, mortars and waterwipeable tile grouts. These Epotec® curing agents possess low yellowing tendency and offer good early water spotting resistance.

Mannich BasesMannich bases are reaction products of amine with phenol or phenol derivatives and formaldehyde. They are known for fast curing, excellent hardness, good abrasion resistance, good curing at lower temperatures and improved adhesion on damp surfaces, as well as higher reactivity with epoxy resins. They have a high colour index, making them the preferred choice for undercoats and spots where a see-through finish is irrelevant (mortars/grouts).

PhenalkaminesThese are the only curing agents to possess rapid curing characteristics at a relatively longer pot life with little to no volatility. Phenalkamines are reaction products of cardanol, which is a naturally occurring phenolic compound in cashew nut shells, and thus is renewable. Because of their characteristic properties, they are widely used to produce heavy-duty industrial coatings, concrete coatings, and marine and offshore coatings.

Waterborne Curing AgentsEpotec® waterborne curing agents are based on modified polyamines. In addition to crosslinking liquid epoxy resins in the final film they also act as emulsifiers allowing the formulation of zero VOC systems and avoiding the need for additional external emulsifiers.

PolyamidesThese curing agents are based on dimer acids and amines. They possess high reactivity at room temperature and versatile properties such as good adhesion to a variety of substrates, lower corrosive effects, a broad mixing ratio, and hydrophobic properties combined with excellent mechanical strength. Due to their user friendly nature and the wide range on offer, these polyamides are used in an extensive array of applications such as general purpose metal primer, concrete coatings, adhesives, putty and caulking compounds, protective anti-corrosive paints and underwater coats.

The Aditya Birla group is one of the largest multinational corporations in India and was founded more than 150 years ago. It has an extensive catalogue of standard and specialist products. Its calling and quest for excellence through continual investment in R+D+i has transformed ABC into the only Asian firm certified by Germanischer Lloyd.

About Comindex

Comindex is a distributor of additives and specialty chemicals that offers specialised technical advice in order to meet the needs of its customers at all times, enabling them to strengthen their formulations and thus obtain better results.